Recloseable package



April 25, 1967 w. M. STRANGE 3,315,873

RECLOSEABLE PACKAGE Filed Jan. 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l /2 /9 FICE". l

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)Wu/AM M SnM/v Arrone/var April 25, 1967 w. M. STRANGE RECLOSEABLEPACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1961 INVENToR. WMA/9M M /Paww: BYmC/@w framwfy United States Patent O 3,315,873 RECLOSEABLE PACKAGEWilliam M. Strange, Neenah, Wis., assignor to .lohn

Strange Carton Company, Menasha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin FiledJan. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 81,450 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) This inventionrelates to packaging and more partie-ularly to a recloseable sheetboardcarton.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a package ofsimple and inexpensive construction which lends itself elfciently tofilling and closing operations, and upon opening of the package by aconsumer, forms a new structure having convenient recloseablecharacteristics.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a packagewhich is constructed from a single sheet of paperboard or the like andwhich utilizes a single seal line to achieve original closure of thepackage with its product contained therewithin.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a recloseablepackage of the tab-forming tear-strip type, as disclosed gene-rally inmy prior patent application, Ser. No. 853,114, tiled Nov. 16, 1959, nowabandoned, the presently disclosed package having the tear-stripassociated with an edge of the package and thereby facilitating theclosing and reopening thereof.

A still further object of the invention resides in the arrangement ofperforate tear lines with respect to an imperforate sheet portion suchthat material such as fat in sliced meat products will not lie incontact with the paperboard perforations and soak through wicking actionthrough the protective coating to render the package unsightly orunsanitary.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description, made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the package blank showing the inside surfacesthereof;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the closed and sealed package, acorner portion being broken away to show the folding arrangementthereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the sealed package showing thetear-strip partly removed therefrom to release the cover and form thelocking tab;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the package in reclosed condition;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged segment in vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged segment taken in vertical section on the line6-6 of FIGURE 3.

With continued reference to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the package orcarton blank which is utilized for the construction of the packageherein disclosed. The blank is indicated generally at 10 and is producedfrom a paperboard material which is foldable in character and may becoated with moisture resisting material, particularly when utilized forfood products which would normally stain or discolor paperboardmaterial. Thus the package formed from the blank may be convenientlyemployed for meat products, such as bacon, normally containing a portionof fat and sliced and shingled in overlapping relation in a somewhatflat appearing package.

The blank 10 has a bottom panel 1.1 which is substantially rectangularin shape and has joined to the respective ends thereof, a pair of endwall portions 12, each having an end wall 13 and a flap 14 joinedrespectively to each other in a fold line end edges lines.

The end walls 13 have a pair of corner tabs 17 each joined respectivelyto their front edges in fold lines 18 and also have a corresponding pairof 'rear corner tabs 19 joined respectively to the opposite ends of endwalls 13 in fold lines 20 as shown in FIGURE 1.

A front wall portion 21 is secured to the front edge of bottom panel 11in` a fold line 22 and guard strip 23 is joined in a parallel fold line24 to the outer edge of the front wall portion I21 as shown. Guard strip23 has formed intermediate its ends a locking slit 25, the purpose ofwhich `will be discussed later in this specification.

A rear wall portion 26 is joined in a fold line 27 to the rear edge ofbottom panel 11 and also is joined in a parallel fold line 28 to a coverpanel 29 as shown. Cover panel 29 may be provided with a cut-away windowportion 30 over which a transparent member such as plastic sheet 31 maybe adhered. The cover panel 29 is of the same size and shape as bottompanel 11 and terminates in a perforated fold line 32 at its outer edge.Another perforated line 33 is formed throughout the length of cover 29from one end edge 34 to the other. Perforated line 33 is generallyparallel to perforated fold line 32 but may be formed into a locking tab35 when the tear-strip 36, lying between the perforated fold line 32 andperforated line 33, is removed from the cover as will be subsequentlydescribed. An outer seal strip 37 is joined to the tear-strip 36 at theaforementioned perforated fold line 32. The seal strip 37 may ibeprovided with a band 38 of adhesive or heat scalable material to effecta special sealing structure in the completed package.

Referring n-ow to FIGURE 2, when the carton blank 10 is .to be folded-into a package, sliced bacon or the like can be placed upon the bottompanel 11 following which the end wall portions 12 each are -bent alongthe fold line 16 in upstanding relation to the bottom panel 11 and therear corner tabs 19 are then folded inwardly to lie along the rear foldline 27 as shown in FIGURE 2. The end Wall flaps 14 are then foldedinwardly along their respective fold lines 15 to lie inwardly and inspaced parallel relation with bottom panel 11. The front wall portion 21is then folded upwardly on fold line 22 so that the latter abuts againstend wall flaps 14 and overlies the end margins thereof. It will be notedthat the front corner tabs 17 are still outwardly extending and theseare now folded inwardly to lie against `the surface of front wall 21 asshown in FIGURE 2. The rear wall 26 is now folded about the fold line 27till it .assumes a right angle position with respect to bottom panel 11following which the cover panel 29 `is bent downwardly about the foldline 28 to overlie bottom panel 11. In this position, the perforatedfold line 32 and perforated line 33 overlie the guard strip 23 and hencedo not come in contact with any material disposed within the package.The seal strip 37 is then folded downwardly to contract the tabs 17 andthe front wall 21 as shown in FIGURE 2. The appearance of the variousportions of the box at a front corner is shown in vertical section inFIGURE 6 where seal strip 37 contacts the tab '17 as shown.

The seal strip 37 provides a means for locking the end walls 13 and thefront wall 21 in upstanding position. The seal strip 37 may beconveniently treated with a band of heat scalable material 38 which canbe easily secured by merely `applying a temporary heat to the front edgeof the package in contact with the exposed surface of seal strip 37 asshown in FIGURE 2. The sealing yband |will melt and seal the tabs 17 tothe strip 37 as shown in FIGURE 6 and will lalso seal the front wall 21in its iintermediate area as shown in FIGURE 5.

15 and respectively to the 16 of bottom panel 11 in spaced parallel foldY upstanding rear With the package sealed as shown, the perforated foldline '32 and the perforated tear line 33 will both overlie the guardstrip 23 and hence will not tend to absorb fats or other material whichwould, in turn, wick and bleed into the perforation lines 32 and 33.

When itis desired to open the package, the user grasps the tear-strip 36which lies between the perforate tear line 33 and perforate fold line 32and strip 36 simply and easily is removed from the box as shown inFIGURE 3. The removal of the tear-strip 36 automatically forms thelocking tab 35 and also frees the remaining cover panel portion 29 fromits locked relation to the front wall portion 21. The front structure,however, remains intact insofar as the front wall 21, cornertabs 17 andend walls 13 are concerned. Such arrangement is particularly usefulsince the product contained within the package may be easily removedfrom the open top and rear. It 'will be noted that the rear wall 26 andcover panel 29 will open flat which renders the package easier to usewhen only a portion of the contained product is removed from time totime and the package reclosed each time.

Since the tab 35, which was formed by the removal of tear-strip 36,overlies the locking slit 25, the cover can be reapplied to the box,closing the contents therewithin in a new locked or latched :arrangementrather than the original sealed arrangement, The appearance of thereclosed package utilizing the locking tab 3S and slit 25 is shown inFIGURE 4. It will also be observed that even after the tear-strip '36 isremoved, the guard strip 23 underlies the area formed by the removal ofthe tear-strip andhence the product within the package will lbeprotected at all times.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A recloseable package which comprises, a bottom panel of generallyrectangular shape, an upstandiug end wall at each end of said bottompanel, an upstanding front wall at the forward edge `of said bottompanel, an up- :standing rear wall at the reanward edge of said bottompanel, a hat cover panel overlying said bottom panel and joined at itsrear edge to the upper edge of said upstanding rear wall, a flat sealstrip joined in angulated depending relation to the front edge of saidcover and sealed to the surface .of the front wall, the line of juncturebetween said seal strip and said cover'being perforated along a foldline, and a second perforated tear line in said at cover panel lying inspaced relation inwardly of said perforated fold line and forming a tearstrip therewith in the plane of said cover panel whereby, upon tearingsaid strip along the perforated lines, the cover will become free toopen, but said seal strip will remain secured to the front wall asadditional support therefor and extending fully to the top edge of saidfront Wall.

2. A recloseable package which comprises, a bottom panel .of generallyrectangular shape, an upstanding end wall at each end of said bottompanel, an upstanding front wall at the forward edge of said bottompanel, an wall at the rearward edge of said bottom panel, a cover paneloverlying said bottom panel and joined at its rear edge to the upperedge of said upstanding rear wall, a seal strip in depending relation tothe front edge of said cover, a pair o-f spaced perforated tear lineslying adjacent the front edge thereof and extending for the length ofsaid cover and forming a tear strip therebetween, and means securingsaid seal strip, said front twall tand said end walls together whereby,upon tearing said tear strip along said perforated lines, the cover willbecome free to open, but said front wall and end walls will remainsecured together in upstanding relation with respect to said bottompanel.

3. The recloseable package set forth in claim 2 wherein said rear wallis hinged respectively in fold lines to said bottom panel and to saidcover panel, said upstanding rear wall being freely separable from theend walls whereby to fold rearwardly and downwardly together with saidcover panel upon opening of said package.

4. A recloseable package which comprises, a bottom panel of generallyrectangular shape, an upstanding end wall at each end of said bottompanel, an upstanding front wall at the forward edge of said bottompanel, a tab secured to each of said end walls and folded outwardly overthe respective ends of said front wall, an upstanding rear wall at therearward edge of said bottom panel, a cover panel overlying said bottom4panel and joined at its rear edge to the upper edge of said upstandingrear wall, a seal strip joined in depending relation to the front edgeof said cover and sealed to said tabs and to the surface of said frontwall, and a pair of spaced parallel perforated lines extending for thewidth of said cover adjacent the forward edge thereof and forming a tearstrip therealong whereby, upon tearing said strip along said perforatedlines, the cover will become free to open Ibut said end walls and saidfront wall will remain secured together by said seal strip.

5. A paperboard blank yfor a recloseable package comprising, arectangular bottom panel, a pair of end wall portions joinedrespectively to the end edges of the bottom panel in spaced parallelfold lines, a pair of laterally extending tabs foldably joined to theforward edges of said end wall portions, a rear wall joined to the rearedge of said bott-om panel in a first fold line, a cover panel joined tosaid rear wall along a second fold line in spaced parallel relation tothe rs-t rear wall fold line, a front lwall portion joined to the frontedge of said bottom panel in a fold line, an outer strip portion joinedto said cover panel in a perforated fold line, a perforated line formedin said cover panel in close and generally parallel relation to saidfold line and defining therewith a tear strip, and a sealing band formedalong said outer strip and adapted to secure together said laterallyextending tabs and the front wall portion when said outer strip portionis sealed thereover.

`6. The package blank of claim 5 wherein a guard strip is joined to thefront wall portion in a fold line, said guard strip being adapted to befolded inwardly to underlie the said 4perforated lines when a package isformed Ifrom said blank.

7. The package blank of claim 6 wherein said guard strip has a lockingslit formed therein and said perforated line which is generally parallelto said fold line is coniigured to form a cooperating locking tab onsaid cover panel upon removal of said tear strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 244,523 7/ 1881Bamberger 229-33 1,980,851 11/1934 Crawford 229-51 1,985,590 12/1934Weiss 229-51 2,218,509 10/ 1940 Goodyear 229-51 2,864,547 12/1958 Guyer229-51 3,231,172 1/1966 Strange 229-51 3,243,098 3/1966 Jacke 2219-51FOREIGN PATENTS 244,241 12/ 1925 Great Britain.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, yPrim-ary Examiner.

EARL J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. G. R. CARLSON, J. I. HOEY AssistantExaminers,

1. A RECLOSEABLE PACKAGE WHICH COMPRISES, A BOTTOM PANEL OF GENERALLYRECTANGULAR SHAPE, AN UPSTANDING END WALL AT EACH END OF SAID BOTTOMPANEL, AN UPSTANDING FRONT WALL AT THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID BOTTOMPANEL, AN UPSTANDING REAR WALL AT THE REARWARD EDGE OF SAID BOTTOMPANEL, A FLAT COVER PANEL OVERLYING SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND JOINED AT ITSREAR EDGE TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID UPSTANDING REAR WALL, A FLAT SEALSTRIP JOINED IN ANGULATED DEPENDING RELATION TO THE FRONT EDGE OF SAIDCOVER AND SEALED TO THE SURFACE OF THE FRONT WALL, THE LINE OF JUNCTUREBE-